The Effect of Mjölnir
by Fritz96
Summary: As Hiccup and Astrid resume with life after the events in Hammer of Thor, and as Bork week arises, they must fight against an enemy they didn't know they had. (Rated T for content, NO FOUL LANGUAGE)


Well, posting this story has taken much longer than anticipated. But now that it's up, let's journey into the realm of imagination. However, before we start, I have a couple of items I would like to mention to you. Even though my last story gave me some ups and downs during the writing process, the sequel has been a roller coaster and as such, I'm sure you will experience some of the motions so please bear with me. Also, if you notice ANY typos or grammatical errors in anything I post, please let me know; I would really I appreciate it.

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**Chapter 1**

"What more proof do you need to convince yourselves to get rid of those blasted beasts?!" Mildew, with Fungus tucked securely under one arm, was passionately lecturing the crowd gathering in the center of town; though his audience did not seem to be listening to his rant. They muttered at how irrelevant his arguments were because these events were already in the past. "The boy _befriended_ dragons, brought them to live among us—And how do the gods bless him for this? First an amputation, then a lightning strike to the head, and now a bout of blindness! What more signs do ya need that the boy has displeased the higher powers?!"

But he could quickly tell they weren't paying attention to him anymore, instead focusing on the two 'heroes'—One of which a _dragon_!— and Hiccup's blonde girlfriend in the midst of the crowd. _Wasn't the boy just in the forge?_ A thought suddenly occurred to the cranky old man, eliciting an evil smirk on his face. He approached the smithy easily, undetected by the distracted villagers, and upon entering took a moment to cackle and wring his hands in pleasure at finding it vacant. Looking around, Mildew immediately hobbled over to a journal left open on a nearby table and peered down. He reveled in what he saw; the clogs in his mind turning, his quest satisfied. The right page was covered in lines of bulleted notes and scribbled diagrams; these he quickly dismissed, his intrigued attention drawn instead to a stunning drawing of the young blonde girl portrayed on the left. His smile widened and he slipped out the building as stealthily as he'd entered.

**oOo**

A tall, skinny figure slunk through the village later that night, taking care to ensure he was not followed. He glanced around once more before ducking into the town prison. His path led him past rows of vacant dungeon rooms until at last he stopped in front of a particular jail cell. Using his staff he tapped twice on the iron bars, the clanking of which resounded through the seemingly empty stone building in an ominous manner. A large shadow inside stirred.

"Oye, Mildew," A husky voice growled from within, "I'd thought you'd come. Now get us outta here." Said visitor still stared unimpressed at Alvin the Treacherous.

"No! I warned ya, warned ya not to go after him so directly, and we're gonna do it differently this time."

The prisoner's expression shifted from offended to intrigued. "How do ya mean?"

"There are several key components I made note of today..."

**oOo**

Astrid blinked, finding herself at the foot of a large, monumental pine tree. Without thinking about it, her gaze was drawn to the very top. Overhead a soft yellow, almost gold sky contrasted starkly with the dark green pine needles; rays of light coloring the tree's bark a rich brown. She closed her eyes for a moment and felt the gentle warmth of the setting sun on her back. It was moments like this that she truly enjoyed living on Berk.

Then without warning, the idyllic atmosphere morphed into one of chilling foreboding. Her eyes shot open and her head swung in the direction of abrupt, disturbing laughter. To her confusion, the source was Snotlout, leering beside her with a heinous, daunting expression. Suddenly, he leaned in and seized the hammer she hadn't realized she was holding in her hand, hefting it into the air and spinning it around showily. His laugh grew deeper and more malicious, the image of his face beginning to haze and twist unexpectedly: The dark whiskers on his chin grew into a full, bristly beard; his nose disfigured itself sharply; his features generally becoming more angular. His eyes shrank into small, black beads that glinted evilly. Even the helmet upon his head retracted into itself, while the horns twisted themselves outward, arching into a crooked pair on either side of his head. Beyond his right shoulder, an unidentified gray blur rose up, and over the opposite the shape of the weapon began to form, its edges curved and jagged— a hatchet. Astrid's eyes widened in horrified recognition just as the abhorrent transformation was completed and Alvin the Treacherous cackled menacingly before her.

Unexpectedly, his laughter subsided and his towering form turned towards the left so that he faced in the direction of the village. He swung his arm around powerfully and the hatchet was sent somersaulting through the sky. With wide eyes Astrid watched it hurtle through its rapid trajectory when, to her horror, she spotted Hiccup walking unsuspectingly in its path. Instantly a cold, raw terror gripped her; she hardly registered the nefarious laughter starting up behind her once more over the loud thumps of her heart pumping adrenaline through her body. She'd barely taken a step forward, her hand reaching out a in an eternally desperate gesture, when the cry of warning she'd prepared to make died on her lips, smothered by a rough wool gag around her mouth. A staff with large dragon teeth tied securely to the end lashed out before her, blocking her passage. Helplessly Astrid watched as the hatchet reeled towards Hiccup, closer and closer until the blade was mere inches from his skull…

"NO!" Astrid gasped, sitting bolt upright in bed and breathing heavily. She could feel the sheen of sweat coating her overheated body as her eyes wandered around the bedroom. Slowly but surely her brain (and heart) found relief in the comforting familiarity associated with her surroundings. A friendly croon from the window suddenly drew her attention and she turned to see Stormfly sticking her head into the room and looking questioningly at her clearly upset rider. Astrid took a deep breath to steady herself and slid out of bed to greet her friend. "It's okay, girl; just a nightmare."

_But it felt so real._ Astrid stared blankly out her window, mind abuzz with the alarming images of her dream. The sun was rising over the hill outside, spilling its bright rays into the busy village, where here and there Vikings were bustling around town, going about their daily tasks. Suddenly it dawned on her: "Oh, no— I'm late!" Quickly she got dressed and hurried downstairs to mount her dragon.

**oOo**

Almost every day the teens met in the arena for their usual sessions of Berk Dragon Academy. Each member would laze until Hiccup started or all were present; the latter being the case on this particular morning.

"Where's Astrid? She should've been here by now…" Hiccup wondered aloud.

"Maybe _she_ went blind from the sight of _you_," Snotlout snickered. Hiccup just stared at him with one eyebrow cocked.

"Uh, doesn't she act that way more towards _you_?" Tuffnut pointed out.

"So, Hiccup," The teen turned at the sound of his name to see Fishlegs approaching. "What was the important thing you had to tell us?"

"Well, my dad has asked us to conduct an air parade for Bork week; any ideas?"

"Uh, I have an important question." Tuffnut raised his hand to signal his quandary. "How are we gonna do that?"

"_AIR PA-RADE,_" Snotlout repeated, stressing each syllable dramatically. "By using dragons, _duh_." The bumptious boy leaned coolly against the neck of his Monstrous Nightmare. "Stupid," he grumbled.

A sudden squawk from outside caught their attention. The familiar sapphire Nadder flapped into the arena, her golden markings rippling with the movement.

"Sorry I'm late," Astrid apologized to her fellow teens. She alighted to the ground and was looking around at them when her eye caught on someone in particular: Snotlout. She stared at him as he fiddled with a medal around his neck, angling it this way and that to catch the sunlight; his attention over by the twins as they followed its reflection.

Hiccup noted Astrid's intense gaze with curiosity. Of course she looked at them all individually in acknowledgement now and again, but something was different now in the way she stared at his cousin. Her face was lax, eyes wide and somber. Hiccup's eyes darted from Astrid to Snotlout and back again.

Abruptly her reverie broke and she turned to address him and Fishlegs with a fixed smile that didn't quite touch her eyes. "So, what did I miss?" Hiccup didn't fail to catch the sudden, forced note of cheeriness in her voice. Fishlegs commenced in his characteristic rambling, but Hiccup was still preoccupied with the distracted manner in which Astrid nodded and agreed with the occasional 'okay' or 'uh-huh.' Suddenly he knew why she seemed so off: she was acting. Her hand on her hip, going about seeming all rough and tough but with her normal positive, outgoing attitude; he'd seen it before. She had something troubling on her mind but didn't want to show it.

At length Fishlegs' monologue stopped and Astrid turned to him; Hiccup returned her gaze casually in an attempt to keep his inner musings hidden. After a moment, her eyebrows knit together in an expression of expectancy.

"Hiccup?"

"What?"

"Well?"

"Uh... well what?"

"I, uh," Fishlegs interjected awkwardly, "I asked you if that was a good idea. To use dragon calls for the parade."

Hiccup mentally pinched himself, hyperaware of the embarrassed heat flushing his cheeks. _Real smooth, Haddock. _"Oh, uh, yeah," He responded quickly. Then turning to include the rough-housing twins and a fatuous Snotlout: "We can go practice in the cove. Uh, come-on guys, let's go –and leave your dragons."

"Wait, _leave_ our dragons? Why?" Ruffnut piped up from where she walked beside her brother.

"Duh, to train them," Tuffnut stated as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"But don't we _need_ them to train them?"

"Not if you're such a great dragon trainer that you can do it from afar. Are you not? 'Cause I certainly am."

Hiccup tuned out the twins' antics as his thoughts steered towards Astrid and her strange behavior once more. He wanted to figure it out, but now was not the time. He would have to corner her later. Resolved, his stride regained its usual surety and he allowed his mind to focus on the task at hand.

From where she trailed behind the group, Astrid noticed the changes in Hiccup's demeanor. She knew him well enough to recognize it from his uncharacteristic zone-out earlier and the slight set of determination in his jaw now: that buzzing mind of his had already picked up on her dilemma._ Oh, great. I'm gonna hear about this later._ She resolved to try and act normal to throw him off before he got a chance to confront her about it. Content with this plan, Astrid squared her shoulders and with an assertive spring in her step continued to accompany her friends on their trek to a place previously known only to her and Hiccup.

**oOo**

That evening found the Viking teens gathered at their usual table in the Great Hall. Dinner had long been eaten and chores attended to; for now the friends chatted leisurely, though in truth Fishlegs had most of the conversation covered at that moment.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh, I've read it like six times!" He spouted excitedly. "Dragons are unique creatures that have a variety of personalities and-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Snotlout interrupted impatiently from across the table. "I've _heard it_ six times already!" He screwed up his face in an attempt to mimic the zealous dragon enthusiast. "'Every dragon is a perfect representation of their rider.'"

Astrid cupped a hand around her mouth and leaned to whisper in Hiccup's ear, "Well, if that's the case, the Monstrous Nightmare suits him well." Hiccup coughed to suppress a laugh and had to turn away to hide the smile tugging at his lips.

"That's why Hookfang and I are so good together, unlike you guys," Snotlout continued smugly, unaware of Astrid's comment, before erupting in derisive laughter.

Astrid's heart faltered painfully at the sound, her breath catching in her throat as the unnerving dream flashed before her again uninvited. The sound of her name snapped her back into reality, however, and she turned her head to see Hiccup's fathomless green eyes studying her visage with concern.

"Astrid, what's wrong?" His voice was quiet and rough with genuine care. For a split second her heart melted in the understanding that he spoke quietly for her privacy, but the feeling was replaced as she considered his inquiry and thoughts of the persistent nightmare again reigned in her head.

"I, uh… well..." Her face was burning; she could practically feel the red spreading across her cheeks. Could she just tell him about her dream? It would make her feel better to talk about it, but on the other hand she would be implying her… _feelings _for him. Well, that was kind of a lost cause already; she'd done that back when he was blind. _Make up your mind, he's waiting!_ She scolded herself internally, feeling frustrated and uncomfortable with the crushing indecision.

He must have sensed her hesitance because he subtly shifted closer, eyes gleaming sincerely beneath a curtain of auburn bangs, and added in a gentle tone, "Astrid, you can tell me. It's _me_, remember?" He gave her that lopsided smile she loved.

She bit her lip for a second then made up her mind. "Hiccup, I-"

Suddenly she was interrupted by a loud clatter nearby. All six of them turned to look for the source and spotted a kooky old man sitting alone at a table, facing so that his back was towards them.

"Is that... _Mildew?_" Hiccup asked, surprise coloring his tone.

"Where's his sheep?" Astrid seemed to voice the question they all shared.

"Maybe he's all lambed out," Snotlout suggested, sounding amused with his own joke. The teens all turned to stare at him, unimpressed. "What?" He asked innocently. With sighs of exasperation, they returned their attention to the disagreeable old man, but found the seat he'd occupied only a moment ago was now vacant.

"Uh, where'd he go?" Tuffnut questioned.

"Hiccup!" Even though only one name was called, all of them turned to see Stoick and Gobber approaching. "Hiccup, we need to talk to you."

Hiccup automatically glanced around the table to analyze the faces of three known trouble-making teens suspiciously. Though something told him this wasn't about them. "Okay..."

"We want to know what you think we should do with Alvin," Gobber explained eagerly.

"Okay..." He repeated cautiously. This was definitely unexpected.

"As you know," his father continued, "we've sent all but Alvin and Savage back— the rest aren't too much of a threat without leadership— and since you always seem to be impacted by their plots, we decided to bring the matter of their fate into your hands. After all, an Outcast, by definition, doesn't belong on Berk."

Hiccup couldn't hold back the bitter thought that occurred to him: _Oh, so you're letting one 'outcast' decide the fate of another– fitting._ "Well, what are the options?" He was really uncomfortable with this whole situation.

"For kidnapping a Berkian?!" Gobber seemed shocked. "Throw him off the island, at least."

Hiccup didn't have to be a mind-reader to get a good idea of what Astrid was thinking right now.

"I suggest letting the dragons take them where they please," Hiccup deadpanned. Never had he seen his mentor this way: eyes wide and pleading like a kid in a candy store. What was he to do?

**oOo**

"Mildew, it couldn't possibly work— 'e's a smart boy!"

"Ah, but is he smart enough to see what's under his nose?"

Alvin gave his visitor a dubious glare. "Are you sure _you're_ not blind, old man? The boy's a _teen-age-er_! He's not gonna be diggin' for green-colored treasure."

"Bah!" The old man suddenly spun on his heel to leave, insulted, but thought better of it and stopped. With a sigh, he returned to the front of the cell. "Yer from Berk, right? So you should understand when I say that—"

"I heard you the first time, Mildew, but the boy—"

"—is smarter than you give him credit for."

Alvin stared at him in disbelief. "But don't ye think ye might be goin' over his head?" The bulky Outcast began to chuckle and in the same moment turned around to give his servile right-hand man a harsh warning shove: his queue to join in.

"Good one, Alvin," Savage agreed quickly.

Their snickering died out however as they noticed their guest was not joining them. "Get it? 'Cause the boy's height and…" The Outcast leader felt offended that this old crank did not appear to appreciate his excellent humor.

Mildew's age-creased eyes narrowed. With an apathetic 'hmph', he turned and doddered toward the exit.

"Oye! Mildew!" The elder continued walking. Alvin slammed his meaty fists against the bars of the cell door. "You're supposed to be helping us get outta 'ere, old man. Now get back 'ere!"

The slight figure stopped as he reached the doorway, his shadowy silhouette sharp against the pale moonlit world outside.

"I promised, Alvin. I'll get'cha outta there, but since _I'm_ the one doin' it, it'll be done _my _way." And with that the man disappeared into the night, leaving his associates alone in eerie silence.

* * *

One last thing to mention: One day, I was working on the computer, twiddling with some details and an idea struck me – you know, when you can literally feel the light bulb illuminate over your head. So, I thought I would try it out but I also thought to let you know so that you don't assume it to be part of the story. Anyway, at the end of every chapter, there will be an encouraging thought (and hopefully it will have something to do with the chapter but we'll see how that works out). So, to start out:

_"Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another." _

_- Napoleon Hill_


End file.
